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SOS Children's Village Livingstone

Livingstone is located approximately 500 kilometres south of Lusaka and its population is estimated at roughly 100,000.

About 66% of the population of the district lives below the poverty line and most of these are women.

Livingstone district is also one of the districts most affected by HIV/Aids in the country. The educational sector has been affected by limited infrastructure and inadequate resources. Given the poverty situation and the increase in the number of orphans, the extended family structures appear to be overstretched.

As facilities for out-of-home care are lacking in the area, the decision was made to build an SOS Children's Village in Livingstone.

A suitable plot of land on the outskirts of the town was donated by the city council. It is surrounded by a poor neighbourhood. The official opening ceremony took place on 7 October 2008.

SOS Children's Village Livingstone comprises fifteen family houses (with a capacity for up to 150 children), a house for the village director, staff houses and an administration and service block.

Every family house has a small plot of land for laying out vegetable gardens and raising chickens. Up to 90 children between three and six years of age receive early childhood education in the three group rooms of the SOS Kindergarten.

It is open to children from the SOS Children's Village and children from the surrounding community. The SOS Hermann Gmeiner Primary School on the same premises operates grades one to nine in nine classrooms.

The school is also equipped with a computer lab, a laboratory, a library and classrooms for home economics and woodwork. It accommodates about 360 pupils. Two community based programmes - a family strengthening programme and an HIV/Aids programme - complete the services offered.